Glass-machine.



W. l. MILLER.

GLASS MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED IIAY 4. [9|]. nznzwzn MAY 2!. ma.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

ISHEETS-SHEET I W. J. MILLER.

GLASS MACHINE.

APPLICATIOI FILED KY 4. 19" IENE'ED "KY 2 all. 1,276,392. Patented Aug.20, 1918.

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GLASS MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED v4. 911. nznzwcu an 21. ms.

1,276,392. Patented Aug. 20, 191&

INVINTOI.

Ma Ma UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. MILLER, 0F SWISSVALE BOROUGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

GLASS-MACHINE.

Application filed. May 4, 1917, Serial No. 166.313.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. \VILLIAM J. MILLER. a citizen of the United States.and residing in the borough of Swissvale, in the county of Allegheny andState of Pennsylvania, have invented or discovered new and usefulImprovements in Glass-Machines. of which the following is aspecification.

My invention consists in a new and improved machine for forming glassarticles.

More particularly, it comprises an alternately acting two-mold machinewherein alternately the molds are closed for the forming operation, andopened and their contents discharged; and in operative means for thesame.

Novel features of construction and arrangement of parts will appear fromthe following description.

In the accompanying drawings, which are merely intended to illustrate apractical embodiment of my invention but not to limit the scope of thesame to the construction shown, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine,the platform upon which the blowers or glass workers stand beingpartially broken awayto show parts; Fig. 2 is a view taken partly insection along the line II-II in Fig. 1, the mold, cylinders andautomatic valves being shown in side elevation for the sake ofclearness; Fig. 3 is an enlarged dia' grammatic view showing theconnections between the fourway control valve and mold operatingcylinders; Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the method of operating oneof the mold bottoms. Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of oneof the automatic valves; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail, partly in sectionshowing the bleeder which controls the extension of the mold bottom andthe means for actuating the latter; Fig. 7 is a broken plan view showingone of the mold tables, the mold bottom, the slide upon which the bottomis mounted and the cylinder which actuates said bottom slide; Fig. 8 isa broken vertical section along the line VIII-VIII in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 isa front elevation of -one of the cross heads b means of which the moldsare opened an closed, the connecting rods being omitted for the sake ofclearness and Fi 10 is a broken frcnt elevation of the mac ine, showingone of the molds in its closed position.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 20, 1918.

Renewed May 27, 1918. Serial No. 236,923.

The following is a detailed description of the drawings.

A represents the bed plate of the machine. whose rear end is preferablysupported by the wheels 1 to facilitate the movement of the machine whennecessary.

8 represents the horizontal platform upon which the two blowers standside by side, and which is preferably supported by means 0t screw shafts2 mounted on standards which extend up from the bed plate A whereby saidplatform may be either raised or lowered so that various heights ofmolds may be used in the machine.

C and C represent the two hinged molds, shown for the sake ofillustration as twopart molds, but it will be understood four part orany other character of hinged mold may be used on my improved machine.

Said molds rest upon the mold tables I) and D, respectively, which arein turn mounted upon the bed plate A.

The character of said mold tables is more clearly shown in Fig. 7.

The mold halves or parts are provided with rearwardly extending hingemembers {which are pivotally mounted on vertical plus 5 which extendupwardly from the foot plates 6 adjustably secured .to the base plate Aby means of bolts 7 engaging slots 8 in said foot plate.

The mold tables are each formed of a pair of plates spaced apart on thebed plate A to form between them a central opening 9 to receive the moldbottom, :1 slideway 10 extending forwardly to permit the mold bottom tomove out to discharge the product and a rearward opening 10 for theescape of glass fragments to prevent clogging. The mold table plates areadjustably mounted on bed plate A b means of pins (1 extending throughho es in the plates and holes in the bed plate.

The mold members are rovided with outwardly extending pierce ears 13 towhich are pivotally connected the bushing members Ii. 15 are connectingrods whose outer ends are threaded and extend through said bushings.Nuts 16 are screwed up on said rods against the ends of said bushings tohold the rods in any adjusted position therein.

E and E represent a. pair of compressed air cylinders which control theopening and closing of the molds C and C, respectively. The pistons ofsaid cylinders are provided with piston rods 17 which extend through thestufiing boxes 18 and have their outer ends secured between the twinbars 19 which form cross heads. Said bars are notched to seat saidpiston rods which are held in place by means of bolts QO eXten dmgthrough the bars 19 at either side of the piston rods and through fillerblocks .21, and also by pins '2' extending through said bars 19 andengaging notches in the piston rods.

The inner ends of the connecting rods 15 are provided with horizontalloops or eyes which are inserted between the bars 19 and engaged by pins23 depending through holes 24 in the cross heads. Holes at variousdistances from the center of the cross heads are provided for adjustmentof the connecting rods.

It is thus seen that by adjusting the connecting rods either by means ofthe nuts 16 or on the cross-heads, the proper amount of throw may beobtained to open or close any character of hinged molds. The mold platesmay be shifted for further adjustment.

F is a four way valve mounted on the under side of the platform B.

25 is a pipe connecting said valve with the compressed air supply pipe26. '27 is a branched pipe which connects one of the outlet ports ofsaid valve with the front end of the cylinder E and the rear end of thecylinder E and 28 is a similar pipe which connects the other outlet portof said valve with the rear end of the cylinder E and the front end ofthe cylinder E. The pipes 25, 27 and '28 are preferably provided withinset sections of flexible hose to permit the platform B to be raised orlowered without disturbing the piping connections.

29 is a link ivotally attached to the eccentrically place wrist in 30 onthe protruding valve plug 31 of t e valve F, and extending up through aslot in the platform B. The upper end of the link 29 is pivotallyconnected to one end of the treadle 32 which is pivoted intermediate ofits ends on the platform B. It is eviden t that when one end of thetreadle 32 is stepped on by one of the blowers, the valve plug will bethrown in one direction, and when the other blower, standing at the sideof the first blower steps on the other end of the lever, the valve willbe thrown in the opposite direction. As will be seen by the arrangementof the piping, a. movement of the valve admits air into the front end ofone of the cylinders and the rear end 0 the other cylinder, and viceversa, the opposite end of the cylinder being connected to waste.

Thus when the blower who stands on the platform over the mold C ste s onthe treadle, the mold C is closed and t e mold C is opened, and when thesecond blower who stands on the platform over the mold t." steps on theother end of the treadle, the mold C is closed and the mold C is opened.

Thus as the gatherer hands a pipe with a quantity or gather of glassdepending from its end to one of the blowers, said blower centers hispipe and steps on the treadle and closes his mold, and then proceeds toblow the glass to form. the other mold opening at the same time for thedischarge of the article just previously blown in the last named mold.The blowers are thus alternately handed pipes and the alternateoperation of the molds is continuous.

I will now proceed to describe the means for extending and retractingthe mold bottoms when the molds are open.

(it is an automatic valve associated with the mold C and G is a similarvalve associated with the mold C. The construction of said valves isidentical and is shown in section in Fig. 5.

Said construction is as follows:

33 is a cylindrical casing closed at its ends by heads 3% and 35 whichare provided with threaded axial ports 36 and 37, respectively. 38 is alarge threaded port in the center of the casing 33 connected by a branchpipe 39 to the compressed air supply pipe 26. In the opposite side ofthe casing 33 from the supply port 38 are twin outlet ports 40 and 41,one on either side of the axis of the port 38. Between said ports *0 and41 said casing is provided with an open waste port 4;.

43 is a valve body sliding in the casing 33 and provided in its endswith chambers H and 45 which are connected centrally by means of an openchamber to always in communication with the supply port ie. The chamber-H is provided with a port 5, which, when the valve body is moved to theright end of the casing, registers with the port 40, thus admittingpressure to said port from the supply ipe 39. -18 is a similar port inthe wall 0 chamber 45 which, when the valve body is moved to the leftend of the casing, as shown in Fig. 5, registers with the ports 41, thusadmitting pressure to said last named port. 49 is an open passage orrecess cut in the exterior wall of the valve body and adapted to connectone of said ports 40 or 41 with the waste port +2. when the other port,40 or 41, is connected to pressure as above described. Thus when one ofthe said rts 40 or 41 is receiving compressed air from the supply port38, the other of said pair of ports 15 connected to waste for the reliefof pressure.

The chamber 44 is rovided with a small bleeding port 50 disc arging intothe left end of the casing, while the chamber 45 is provided with asimilar port 51 dischar ing into the other end of the casing. T esebleeding ports are. to permit pressure to be established in the ends ofthe casing gradually.

H and H represent a pair of com ressed air cylinders which operate themo (1 hottoms, and are located, respectively, under the cylinders E andE, and which are respectively connected to the automatic valves G and G.Thus the pipe 52 connects the port l0 of the automatic valve with thefront end of its compressed air cylinder and a similar pipe 53 connectsthe port ll of the automatic valve with the rear end of the cylin er.

5* is the piston in each of the compressed air cylinders and 55 thepiston rod extending out through the stutling box 56.

I and I represent two bleeders which are connected, respectively, by thepipes 57 with the ports 36 of the valves G and G. J and J are alsobleeders which are connected, respectively, by the pi es 58 with theports 37 of the valves G an G.

Said bleeders are of similar construction, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6,and consist of a cylindrical casing 59 having one end threaded toreceive a bushing 60 whose bore is also threaded to receive the end ofthe connecting pipe 57 or 58, as the case may be. Toward the other end,the bore of the casing iscontracted to form a seat for the ball valve 61which is normally kept seated by the helical spring 62 bearing againstthe inner end of the bushing 60. Beyond the valve seat the bore of thecasing is provided with a radial waste port 63. For convenience, saidport runs diametrically through the casing and the lower end is threadedto receive the bolt 6-1, by means of which the "bleeder is secured inplace on the bed plate A. Beyond the waste port 63, the bore of thecasing is contracted to form a slide hearing for a lunger 65 whose innerend is headed to bear against the ball while its outer end protrudesfrom the casing to be struck by a moving element of the mechanism. It isevident that a blow against the outer end of the plunger 65 will drivethe same inwardly, thus unseating the ball valve and relieving thepressure in the pipe connected to the bleeder.

The.bleeders I and I are similarly situated with relation to thecylinders E and E, respectively, while the bleeders J and J aresimilarly situated in relation to the cylinders H and H, respectively.

I will therefore describe the operation of the bleeders I and J.

The bleeder I is mounted on a portion of the bed late A with its plungerextending toward t e front of the machine so that the latter will bestruck by a finger 66 ivotally mounted. so as to swing upward y, on abracket 67, depending from the cross head 19. The contact endof saidfinger is provided with a bevel 68, which after the finger has met andpushed the plunger inwardly and opened the bleeder, strikes against thencline plane surface 69 of the bleeder casmg, throwing the fingerupwardly out of contact with the plunger of the bleeder as the crosshead continues to move inwardly, and permitting the bleeder to close,having remained open but a moment.

The bleeder J is placed with its plunger turned rearwardly of themachine in the path of the end of the piston rod 55 so that as saidpiston rod approaches the outward limit of its stroke, it will ush thesaid plunger rod inwardly and ho d the bleeder open until the piston rodbegins its inward movement.

Attached to either side of the outer end of the piston rod as by meansof cross bolt 70, are parallel links 71, which slide in a channel 72 inthe bed plate A and have pivoted between their outer ends. as by meansof a cross bolt 73, the pierced depending ear 74 of the slide 75 whichmoves in the slideway 10 of the mold table and rests on the bed plate A,spanning the channel 72. The edge of the bed plate A is beveled off atthe front on either side of the channel 72 to form inclined tracks 76which are engaged by the slide 75, as it reaches the front of the bedplate, and tilts said slide forwardly and downwardly.

Integral with the slide 75 is the mold bot tom 77, which when the moldis closed, seats with the slide 75 in the opening 9 in the mold tableand which, when the mold opens, moves forward with the slide 75 alongthe opening 10, and tilts with said slide 75.

The mold bottom is undercut, as at T8, to

fit into the corresponding recess 79 of the mold halves, thus making atight joint and pro erly alinin the parts.

e action 0 a mold and its bottom, such as mold C, is as follows:

When the control valve F is thrown to open the mold C, compressed air isadmitted to the front end of the cylinder E through the pipe 27 and thepressure exhausted from the other end of the cylinder through the pig 28and the waste port of the valve F.

has the piston in the cylinder E will move rearwardly drawing with itthe cross head 19 and thus opening the halves of the mold C. As thecross head moves inwardly, the pivoted finger 66 will, when the mold isalmost completel 0 en, drive inwardly the plunger of the b ee er 1,opening its waste port 68 and thus exhausting the pressure against thevalve bod 43 in the forward end of the casing 33 o the automatic valveG. This will permit the unrelieved pressure in the rear end of the valveG casing to move the valve body 43 to the front end of the casing, thusregistering the ports 48 and 41 and admitti compressed air through thepipe 53 into e rear of the com- Lil pressed air cylinde H. thus drivingthe piston 54 toward the front end of the cylinder. The advance of thepiston rod 55 carries with it the links 71, the slide and the moldbottom 77. As the slide and mold bottom approach the outward limit oftheir travel, they tip, following the downward incline of the trackways76, thus discharging the blown glass article standing on the mold bottominto a sand box or other receptacle. A bracket may be attached to thefront of the bed plate A at the mouth of the channel 72 to limit thedownward drop of the slide and the mold bottom.

It will be noted, however, that the driving in of the plunger of thebleeder I by the finger 66 is but momentary, as the incline plane 68 onthe finger contacts with the incline plane on the bleeder casing andthrows the finger upwardly out of contact with the plungerand permitsthe latter to fly outwardly again as the spring 62 closes the waste port63 by the ball valve 61.

The result is a cessation of the relief of pressure in the front end ofthe bleeder valve G and the restablishment of pressure therein throughthe small port 50.

WVhen the piston rod 55 approaches the end of its outward stroke,previously described, its end strikes and drives inwardly the plunger ofthe bleeder J, thus relieving the preure in the pipe 58 and in the rearend of the valve G. The pressure now accumulated in the front end of thevalve G through the port 50 will then cause the valve body 43 to moverearwardly in the casing 33, thus registering the ports 40 and i7 andadmitting pressure through the pipe 52 into the forward end of cylinderH, driving back the piston 54 and thereby returning the slide 7 5 andthe mold bottom 77 into their proper place for the blowing operation.The retreat of the piston rod 55 will permit the bleeder J to close,thus ermitting pressure to be reestablished in t e rear end of thecasing 33 of the valve G through the port 51,

It will be understood that the-action of bleeders I and J in controllingthe valve G, and thus operating the cylinder H to extend and retract thebottom of the mold C is identical to that just described in connectionwith the bleeders I and J.

It is thus seen that when one of the molds is opened by the operation ofthe valve F, its bottomis forthwith automatically extended, the blownarticle discharged and the mold bottom returned to place before the moldis again. closed by the operation of the control valve. Thus the moldbottom is returned into blowing position before the mold is againclosed, thereby enabling the blower to properly center his punty or blowpipe before closing the mold.

As has been previously explained, the control valve is connected withthe cylinder E in a manner just the reverse to its connection w th thecylinder E, so the throwing of said control valve in either directionwill open one of the molds, and cause its bottom to be extended and thenreturned to position. and simultaneously will close the other mold.

Thus, in the operation of the machine, two glass blowers stand side byside on the platform B, one above each mold, and the boy hands pipes tothe blowers alternately. The one blower as he receives a pipe, with thegather of glass pendant therefrom, centers the pipe over the bottom ofhis mold, which mold is open and the other mold closed, and then stepson the treadle 32. thereby throwing the control valve so that his moldis closed while the other mold is opened, and its bottom extended todischarge the article last blown and then returned at once to place. Thefirst blower then blows his gather into a finished article and detacheshis pipe from the article. by which time the second blower has receiveda pipe from the boy and centering the gather over his mold bottom, stepson the treadle 32. thus throwing the valve F in the opposite direction,thereby closing his own mold for the blow ing operation and opening themold of the first blower and discharging its contents.

It is thus evident that as each blower re ceives a fresh pipe and closeshis mold, he opens his companions mold and discharges its contents, thuskeeping the machine in continuous but alternate operation.

Thus a great saving of time is effected as the machine may be operatedas fast as a boy or boys can alternately supply the two blowers withpipes with pendant gathers of glass.

While, for the sake of illustration, I have shown my invention appliedto a glass blowing machine, it is evident that the same may be appliedto any sort of a glass forming, either pressing or blowing, machinewhich may be non-automatic, partially automatic. or entirely automatic.

\Vhat I desire to claim is:

1. In a machine for the manufacture of articles from glass, a pair ofhinged molds. a compressed air cylinder for each mold adapted to openand close the latter, and a commpn control valve connected in anopposite manner to the two air cylinders whereby a movement of saidvalve causes one of said molds to open and the other mold to close, forthe purposes described.

2. In a machine for the manufacture of articles from glass, 9. pair ofhinged molds. a compressed air cylinder for each mold adapted to openand close the latter, a common control valve connected in an oppositemanner with the two air cylinders whereby a movement of said valvecauses one of said molds to close and the other mold to open, movablebottoms for said molds, and means whereby when one of the molds isopened, its bottom. is shifted for the discharge of the product andreturned to its place, for the purposes described.

3. In a machine for the manufacture of articles from glass, a pair ofhinged molds, a compressed air cylinder for each mold having its pistonoperatively connected to the latter whereby said mold may be opened andclosed, a common control valve for said cylinders oppositely connectedto the same whereby the same movement of said valve will cause one ofsaid molds to open and the other mold to close, and vice versa,movablebottoms for said molds adapted to be shifted for the discharge of theproduct, a compressed air cylinder for each mold bottom havingits pistonoperatively connected to the mold bottom, and means whereby when air isadmitted to one of said first named cylinders to open a mold, air isautomatically admitted to the corresponding one of the second namedcylinders first to shift the mold bottom out of position to dischar ethe product and then to return the mold bottom into position, for thepurposes described.

4. In a machine for the manufacture of articles from glass, a pair ofhinged molds, pressure actuated means for alternately opening andclosing said molds, movable bottoms for said molds, pressure actuatedmeans for shifting said bottoms into and out of position relative tosaid molds. and means whereb said second named means are actuate by saidfirst named means when said molds are respectively opened, for thepurposes described.

5. In a machine for the manufacture of articles from glass, a hingedmold, a pressure cylinder mechanism controlling the opening and closingof said mold, a movable bottom for said mold. a second pressure cylindermechanism controlling the movement of said bottom into and out ofposition, an automatic valve controlling the admission of pressure intothe second named cylinder, and bleeders connected to said automaticvalve interposed in the path of movmg parts whereby when said mold isopened, said mold bottom is first moved out of place to discharge theproduct and then returned to place again, for the purposes described.

6. In a machine for the manufacture of articles from glass. a hingedmold, a pressure cylinder mechanism controlling the opening and closingof the mold, a movable bottom for said mold. a second pressure cylindermechanism controlling the movement of the mold bottom. an automaticvalve controlling the admission of pressure to said second namedcylinder, a bleeder interposed in the path of the mold opening mechanismand adapted to actuatesaid automatic valve to admit pressure into saidsecond named cylinder to extend the mold bottom, and a second bleederinterposed in the path of the bottom shifting mechanism and ada ted toactuate said automatic valve to a mit pressure into said second namedcylinder to return said mold bottom to position.

7. In a machine for the manufacture of articles of glass, thecombination of a hinged mold, means for opening and closin said mold, asliding bottom for said molt means for operating said bottom, a bleedercontrolling the action of said last mentioned means, a spring actuatedplunger protruding from said leeder, and a pivoted striking fingercarried by said first mentioned means and adapted to drive said plungerinwardly to open said bleeder during the operation of opening said mold,said finger being (provided with an incline surface adapte to contactwith said bleeder whereby said finger is thrown out of engagement withsaid plun er after temporary contact therewith, for t e purposedescribed.

Signed at Pittsburgh, Penna, this 26th day of April, 1917.

WILLIAM J. MILLER.

Gain of thll potent may be obtained tor five cents each, by addressingthe "commissioner 0! Estate, Washington, D. 0.

